St. Paul felon indicted for possessing a .357-revolver

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal indictment unsealed yesterday charges a 28-year-old St. Paul felon with possessing a .357-caliber revolver. The indictment charges Richard Alonzo Woods with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment, which was filed on May 15, 2012, was unsealed following Woods' initial appearance in federal court.

The indictment alleges that on November 16, 2011, Woods possessed the Smith & Wesson revolver. Because he is a felon, Woods is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm at any time. His prior convictions – all in Ramsey County – include third-degree sale of controlled substances (2002 and 2003), check forgery (2003), fifth-degree possession of controlled substances (2006), and possession of a firearm by an ineligible person (2006).

If convicted, Woods faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the St. Paul Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie E. Allyn and Surya Saxena.

Note, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive, strategic approach to reducing gun crime in America. PSN, launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2001, encourages cooperative, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement and crime prevention efforts.

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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives United States Department of Justice